Apparatus for producing a fabric with a longitudinal seam

ABSTRACT

A narrow web loom of the type having a weft-laying finger at each side of the warp shed to enter the shed to lay weft loops therein is provided with a knitting needle located at some point between the sides of the warp shed to catch and knit loops of weft yarn simultaneously introduced into the shed by the fingers with previously introduced loops. This results in a woven web with a knitted longitudinal seam spaced from both side edges of the web.

United States Patent Inventor Carl F. Libby Stoughton, Mass. Appl. No. 763,528 Filed Sept. 30, 1968 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 Assignees John D. Riordan Hopkinton, Gertrude C. Libby Stoughton, Mas. Trustees of the Libby Family Trusts APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A FABRIC WITH A LONGITUDINAL SEAM 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 139/124 Int. Cl D03d 47/06, D03d 47/42 Field of Search 139/122,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,180,832 11/1939 Libby 139/124.1 3,320,980 5/1967 Gustavson 139/1241 3,369,572 2/1968 Libby 139/l24.1 3,261,361 7/1966 Power 139/118 FOREIGN PATENTS 346,189 6/1960 Switzerland 139/1241 Primary Examiner-Henry S. J audon Attorney-Morse, Altman and Oates ABSTRACT: A narrow web loom of the type having a weftlaying finger at each side of the warp shed to enter the shed to lay weft loops therein is provided with a knitting needle located at some point between the sides of the warp shed to catch and knit loops of weft yarn simultaneously introduced into the shed by the fingers with previously introduced loops. This results in a woven web with a knitted longitudinal seam spaced from both side edges of the web.

PATENTEUJANZSIBYI 3,557,844

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CARL F. LI BBY FIG. 2 M wag ATTO RN EYS PATENTEB JAMES SHEET 2 0F 3 hm 28 I! 1 "N i II Aim- I l I w flow INV NTOR CARL F. IBBY ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A FABRIC WITH A LONGITUDINAL SEAM This invention relates to a loom of the type illustrated in US. Pat. No. 2,180,831 for weaving narrow webs by introducing into a warp shed loops of weft yarn from opposite sides of the shed, the shed being changed after each loop is introduced. In the loom hereinafter described the weft-laying fingers go simultaneously only part away through the shed, their loops of weft yarn being caught by a knitting needle which is located at some point between the sides of the shed, usually midway between the sides. At each side of the shed and near the fell of the fabric, a hook-shaped plate is mounted to stabilize the selvage, as described in US. Pat. No. 3,369,572, or to form picot edges on the web. If fancy edges are desired, e.g., scalloped contours, apparatus such as is shown in US. Pat. No. 3,l26,920 can be used but is not shown herein.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description thereof, and to the drawing, of which:

FIG. I is a plan view of parts of a narrow web loom to which has been applied mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2' is a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively but illustrating additional details of the apparatus; and,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the reed and needle.

The drawing shows two weft-laying fingers l0 and 12 each having a guide eye 14 through which a weft is threaded. The finger is slidable through a guide member 16 which is rockable about a vertical axis, and the eye 14 describes a closed curved path generated in a clockwise direction to project its weft yarn into the warp shed and to withdraw from the shed. The finger l2 slides through a similar guide member 18 which rocks so that the eye describes a closed curved path in a counterclockwise direction. The movements of the two fingers are in nearly the same phase so that their movements into and out of the shed are virtually simultaneous, one being slightly ahead of the other to avoid clashing in the shed. A knitting needle 20 which is located between the sides of the warp shed, usually midway between the sides, catches a loop from each of the fingers and then is retracted to knit these loops through the two previously caught loops to form a longitudinal knitted seam spaced from both side edges of the web. When the fingers 10, 12 have been retracted from the shed, the shed changes and the weft yarns which have been laid in the shed are beaten up to the fell of the fabric at the edge of the breast beam 22 by the dents 24 of the rotating reed which is mounted on a revolving shaft 26. A special dent 28 is mounted on the shaft 26 in the same vertical plane with the knitting needle 20. After the needle has taken loops of yarn from the fingers l0 and 12 and has been drawn forward to knit the loops, it is projected rearward to be in position to catch the next loops. During the rearward movement, the edge of the dent 28 is shaped so that it is closely adjacent to the end of the needle to prevent the needle from catching onto any of the warp yarns and to separate the warp yarns which are next to the needle. When the needle has reached the end of its motion to the rear, this position being indicated in FIG. 2, the edge of the dent 28 draws away to provide clearance for the fingers 10, 12 which are approaching from the sides of the shed with fresh loops of weft yarn to be caught by the needle.

The knitting needle 20 runs in a groove in the top of the breast beam 22 and under a cover plate 23. It is reciprocated by any suitable mechanism such as an eccentric 30 connected to an arm 32 the end of which is linked to a block 34 into which the butt 36 of the needle is inserted.

A block 40 is mounted over the breast beam. To the sides of this block are attached thin plates 42, 44, the rear ends of which curve downward to form hooks 46 as indicated in FIG. 2. As described in US. Pat. No. 3,369,572, when a finger projects a loop of weft yarn into the shed, the yarn leads from the fell of the fabric around the hook 46 which thus temporarily retains some extra yarn to prevent the selvage from bein pulled in by the tension on the yarn when the loop IS pro ecte into the shed. When the needle is retracted to knit the loops, the yarn slides off the end of the hook 46. If the plates 42, 44 are placed outside of the shed, ornamental picot edges are formed on the web.

In FIG. I, the needle 20 is shown midway between the sides of the shed, the resulting knitted seam 50 being in the middle of the web, but if desired, the needle and the dent 28 can be otherwise located to provide unequal widths on either side of the seam.

I claim:

1. In a narrow web shuttleless loom for forming an open width single plane web, said loom having a warp shed in which successive sheds having a pair of sides are formed with weftlaying fingers at both sides of the shed adapted to project loops of wefi yarn into said shed separately from both sides thereof, a breast beam a knitting needle slidable on said breast beam substantially in the plane of said web to receive loops of weft yarn from both of said fingers and retractable to knit said loops through previously received loops to form a single unitary web with a knit longitudinal seam spaced from both sides of said web, said needle being located substantial distances inward from both sides of said warp shed.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim I, said needle having a hook at its rear end, a reed having a dent consisting of a plate 

1. In a narrow web shuttleless loom for forming an open width single plane web, said loom having a warp shed in which successive sheds having a pair of sides are formed with weftlaying fingers at both sides of the shed adapted to project loops of weft yarn into said shed separately from both sides thereof, a breast beam a knitting needle slidable on said breast beam substantially in the plane of said web to receive loops of weft yarn from both of said fingers and retractable to knit said loops through previously received loops to form a single unitary web with a knit longitudinal seam spaced from both sides of said web, said needle being located substantial distances inward from both sides of said warp shed.
 2. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1, said needle having a hook at its rear end, a reed having a dent consisting of a plate disposed in a plane containing said needle, said plate having an edge portion shaped to be close to the hook of said needle during its movement of retraction.
 3. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2, said needle being located approximately midway between the sides of the shed.
 4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1, and means adjacent to the sides of the shed for forming ornamental edges on the web. 